<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>The Book of Prompts by J_Linz, KoKoa_B (J_Linz)</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26839252">The Book of Prompts</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/J_Linz/pseuds/J_Linz'>J_Linz</a>, <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/J_Linz/pseuds/KoKoa_B'>KoKoa_B (J_Linz)</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>DCU, Justice League - All Media Types, Original Work</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Black Character(s), Book Characters, F/M, Fanfiction, Fiction, Hell, Heterochromia, Platonic Soulmates, Robots, Romantic Soulmates, Soulmates, dc verse, pinterest prompts, prompts, tally marks</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 00:28:36</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>11,039</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26839252</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/J_Linz/pseuds/J_Linz, https://archiveofourown.org/users/J_Linz/pseuds/KoKoa_B</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>The goal is to take a prompt that I find on Pinterest and turn it into a one-shot. Most but not all will have some sort of fanfic theme involving DC characters and mine from my fanfiction Lyght series. Other themes will vary and the prompt will be posted at the beginning so feel free to use them for yourself! If you do, I'd love to see what you came up with!</p><p>Stories are rated Teen and Up.</p><p>Tags will be updated when/if I post other shorts.</p><p>The only thing you have to worry about so far is language!</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>J'onn J'onzz/Original Female Character(s), Original Character/Original Character, Wally West/Original Female Character(s)</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Disclaimers</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>You know the drill!</p>
<p>This is a work of fiction and fanfiction. Any resemblance to persons, living or otherwise, is unintentional and purely coincidental. I make no monetary value in the writing of these one-shots/short stories. I am not affiliated with Detective Comics or any name brand mentioned. </p>
<p>As always, these stories are first draft/as-is. There is a possibility of typos, misused words, and not so great grammar.</p>
<p>Prompts were found on Pinterest but I believe that they originally come from either Tumblr or Instagram. I did not create these prompts.</p>
<p>There's a possibility that there will be adult language and adult situations in one or more of the one-shots/short stories.</p>
<p>Kudos, comments, and subscriptions are more than welcome!</p>
<p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Heterochromia: Case 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Prompt: "Soul mate AU where everybody is born with heterochromia- your right eye is your natural color but your left is that of your soul mate's."</p><p>Part 1: Jamila Lindsey</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span class="u"> <em><strong>Fanfic: DC.</strong> Characters Used Are From Lyght Series/Forbidden Desire</em> </span>
</p><p> </p><p>The one thing that Jamila knew about her soulmate was that they would be white; she knew of no black person with green eyes. She didn't have a problem with it. She actually didn't care; no one was going to tell her who to love.</p><p>Since the beginning of time, a phenomenon was placed on human beings. Everyone was born with two different eye colors: their right eye was their natural one but their left eye? That was their soul mate's eye color. That left eye only changed to a person's natural eye color once they met their soul mate. She almost didn't believe in soul mates. When she got older, she started to feel bad for those with two brown eyes. There were a lot of people where you could tell the distinction between the two shades of brown. For those like her mother, the difference was slight.</p><p>In a way, she took pride in the fact that she was different. Had she been interested in finding a soul mate, at least it wouldn't be as stressful as it was for other natural brown-eyed people.</p><p>She almost didn't get married. But she had to convince the guy that she didn't care what eye color she possessed. When they met, it didn't go unnoticed that his left was identical to her right; his natural color was so dark of a brown, it appeared nearly black. She had a chestnut brown right eye. Regardless, she knew that things would work out for the two; she was, after all, <b>his </b>soul mate. That was all that mattered to her.</p><p>Although her eye never changed, it didn't stop her from loving him completely. Jamila even gave birth to triplets, taking note that the boys' left eyes were varying shades of brown. The girl was special; her eye being an odd mix of a brown pupil with a red ring around it. She shrugged and told herself that she would worry about it when the three became of age to begin looking for their soul mates. All she knew was that being a mother made her the happiest person on the planet.</p><p>Things would change five years later. A superheroine entered her life and the two became the best of friends. When she found out that her friend was going to be a part of the Justice League, Jamila was invited onboard Watchtower as the superheroine went through her initiation phase. The Justice League needed her say in how the young woman was; Jamila had a feeling that whatever she had to say would be the factor they needed to allow her to join.</p><p>She was beyond excited to be aboard; the superheroes that cluttered her children's walls were right in her face. She was guided by Martian Manhunter as they made idle conversation. When they reached a random door, she felt a presence behind them. They both looked and she couldn't help but smile. The Flash was her youngest favorite superhero; she knew the red suit by heart. It wasn't as firetruck red as the pictures made it seem; it was more of a burgundy than anything. But it wasn't the snug suit that made her slightly gasp. His mask covered his face with the exceptions of his nose on down... and his eyes. What little of his face that was shown turned nearly the same shade as his suit when he looked at her. They both saw it: his left eye was a chestnut brown while hers was a brilliant green.</p><p>And just when they both noticed it, their left eyes transformed into their natural colors. She couldn't believe it. The Flash was her soul mate...? She saw that he was just as flabbergasted as she was but a smirk finally appeared on his face. He took the time to remove his mask, revealing fiery red hair that flopped messily around his ears. He was gorgeous, Jamila shamefully admitted. Her entire body flushed as he stuck his hand out.</p><p>"I'm... Wally..."</p><p>"... Ja-Jamila..."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Heterochromia: Case 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Prompt: "Soul mate AU where everybody is born with heterochromia- your right eye is your natural color but your left is that of your soul mate's."</p><p>Part 2: Wally West</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span class="u">
    <em><strong>Fanfic: DC.</strong> Characters Used Are From Lyght Series/Forbidden Desire</em>
  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>Wally West often felt that he would be searching for a needle in a haystack. Or more like a piece of hay in a haystack! He studied that brown eye of his for as long as he could remember. He tried to picture who it belonged to; he knew that whoever it was, he would probably be obsessed at gazing into her eyes. It was certainly a gorgeous shade of brown.</p><p>The problem was that brown eyes were common. He was going to have a hard time finding his soul mate. Aside from accidentally becoming the Flash, it was the only other thing he had to look forward to in his life. Wally was glad that the man who made it possible somewhat fell in love with his aunt and took him in; one less stressful thing in his life.</p><p>Unlike the other guys in school, he didn't date haphazardly. He figured that he had enough on his mind moonlighting as a superhero. Wally didn't want to waste anyone's time, particularly his when it came to dating. His mission was to find his soul mate. It didn't help that he now had a thing for brown-eyed women!</p><p>Once in college, he decided to seriously look for his brown-eyed soul mate. After so many encounters, Wally figured that it was best to just follow his heart. There was a saying that became common during those days: just because they are your soul mate, doesn't mean it was meant to be. He thought at first that it was derived from the ones who didn't want to search extensively for their soul mate; Wally had heard stories of those who went to the extreme, traveling all over the world to find their special someone. He argued with himself that being the Flash, it would be easy for him to search and be back in time for dinner. For some reason, he wanted it to come naturally.</p><p>When he met Linda Park, he was too excited that she had brown eyes. He quickly reminded himself that was a problem: <b>both </b>of her eyes were brown. He saw that she was upset when his brown eye didn't change to green but stayed with him, determined to make things work out. The two were happy with one another throughout college and were set to actually marry afterward. The problem was she had no clue he was the Flash. Wally knew he had to tell her, especially if they were going to spend the rest of their lives together. Once he did, it set off a surprise bomb. Wally expected her to be upset but never imagined outright fury. During the argument, she brought up the fact that his eye didn't change and that "it was for the best" to break up.</p><p>Years later, he hadn't thought about finding his soul mate. He was actually having fun being one of the Justice League's founding members, bonding with the other superheroes and heroines in the faction. His "normal" job was pleasing to him as well; Central City's police department mechanic. Between saving the world and repairing cop cars, Wally had no time to think about whoever his soul mate was. Besides, he had grown rather fond of his green/brown eyes!</p><p>Before long, the Justice League was expanding, adding new members. One in particular was very interesting to him. Part of him had his hopes up when he first laid eyes on her; she had beautiful light brown skin with eyes to match. Then he realized that both of her eyes were the same color; she had already found her soul mate. His attention went to her ability and looked forward to training... and racing the white-haired woman.</p><p>He vaguely remembered the other founding members talking about Tabitha's friend, who was some sort of doctor. He knew that she was set to speak with them, to voice her opinion on Tabitha's character. He thought of it as a silly part of the process; Tabitha was recommended for membership... by a fellow founding member. To question Batman's taste in someone's character seemed like a fight waiting to happen!</p><p>But, rules were rules, he guessed. And he nearly forgot all about the visit until he was roaming the hallways of the massive space center, Watchtower. He was actually on his way to Tabitha's temporary room; he wanted a rematch of the race she challenged him to. When he turned the corner, his thoughts of the rematch disappeared. A few feet in front of him was the Martian Manhunter. Even though the Martian was nearly seven feet tall, his attention went to the woman who accompanied him. He couldn't see her face but his eyes went towards the figure that was displayed through her clothes. Her business skirt hugged her in the right places as she walked casually, her heels clacking against the floor. Those simple black heels made him notice her legs even more; shapely and toned. Barbie doll legs, Wally almost cooed in his mind. Whoever the woman was, she was a shade darker than their potential newest member. The woman's dreads were done in a tight bun, exposing her neck as well as the hint of a tattoo. He had no idea that he was still walking until he realized that he was within arm's length of the two. They stopped at his destination, in front of Tabitha's door.</p><p>He was frozen in his spot for some reason. Wally could've continued to walk past the two or in the other direction. But something told him to stay there. He had a legitimate reason. However, another part of him needed to see this woman's face. She stiffened slightly as the Martian knocked on the door and turned to look at Wally. His heart dipped into his stomach before coming back and fluttered madly. It was said that the color change was immediate, that if you blinked, there was a possibility that you would miss it. But, you knew when it happened. Being the Flash, he was able to process normal time as fast or as slow as he wanted. He chose to view this as slow as possible. His jaw dropped as he studied the brilliant green eye of hers and his skin flushed once it started to change. He knew that she saw it happen as she gasped; he was a hundred percent certain that his once brown eye transformed to his natural green.</p><p>He hadn't been concerned about finding his soul mate in a long time. And, in a matter of a few minutes, on a random day, she was in front of him. She looked like a librarian with her oval-shaped wire glasses. If she was, he thought, she was the most eccentric one he'd ever seen. Her arms were covered with various tattoos and there were two on each leg. An ornate silver snake coiled around her left ear, the snake's head dipping towards her concha. He blushed harder once he realized that she wasn't bad-looking at all.</p><p>He realized that this was the doctor everyone was talking about; Tabitha's friend. Without thinking, he finally smiled at her and removed his mask. It made sense to him; if this was his soul mate and he was hers, she needed to know who he really was. Wally had made the mistake with Linda, waiting to reveal his superhero identity. He wasn't going to make the same mistake twice. </p><p>His face reddened when he saw the look of approval on her face. It was all that he needed as warmth washed over him. Just as he stuck his hand out and opened his mouth, his heart dropped once more. This time, it stayed in the pit of his stomach as his eyes darted from her now fully brown eyes to the silver bands on her left hand. His soul mate... was already married.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Heterochromia: Case 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Prompt: "Soul mate AU where everybody is born with heterochromia- your right eye is your natural color but your left is that of your soul mate's."</p><p>Part 3: Tabitha Lyght</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span class="u">
    <em><strong>Fanfic: DC.</strong> Characters Used Are From Lyght Series/Forbidden Desire</em>
  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>She didn't know if she was the laughing stock of the entire town. She was definitely the weirdest of anyone. Her parents seriously thought about homeschooling her, to keep others from making fun of her or staring at her. When Tabitha Lyght was born, her left eye was definitely of a different color. Unlike most of the naturally brown-eyed people, hers wasn't a different shade of brown. In fact, she and her family would've accepted any other color... except ruby red. If that wasn't bad enough, the color took over her entire eye: pupil, iris, and sclera included. It diminished the hopes of her at least wearing a contact lens to conceal it.</p><p>It wasn't as bad as the Lyght family imagined for their only daughter. It helped that Tabitha had four brothers willing to defend their sister at all costs. Her odd red eye guaranteed she had little to no friends throughout school. It did, however, make her an interesting case to scientists and conspiracy theorists around; her red eye was solid proof that whoever her soul mate was, was definitely alien.</p><p>Once in high school, she made a bit more friends. She became more comfortable with her oddity, especially with people more fascinated that she proved the existence of aliens. Many theories were born as far as what an alien would be like, with a few of her female associates jealous of the possibilities that would present themselves to Tabitha. She preferred not to think about those "possibilities" and tried to live as normal of a life as possible.</p><p>She had a feeling that her uniqueness played a part in how quickly she was accepted into the military. She really wanted to have something to do with space and space exploration; NASA seemed to be a perfect fit for her. However, taking her ASVAB proved that she was only fit for supply. She had hoped that she would be able to live a somewhat normal life with that job.</p><p>Being the only one in the world with a red eye, Tabitha learned at an early age she had to work hard for whatever she wanted. She wanted people to take her seriously and not be deemed as a sideshow freak. She did exceptionally well in boot camp and the four-month schooling for her supply job. All of her hard work earned the young woman quick promotions at the beginning of her military career. While she was a bit disappointed that she would never go near space, she decided to make the best out of things and turn her abrupt enlistment into a career.</p><p>That plan was cut short when a surprise meeting turned into a volunteer program for a beta experiment. She knew that she would be the first to try it and it ended up literally killing her. The general over the experiment, instead of notifying anyone, had Tabitha's body dumped hundreds of miles away from her hometown. Luckily, she was resuscitated by an electrical storm and found out that she had gained lightning elemental powers.</p><p>The month she spent in that alleyway was brutal, especially seeing that she had no control over her new powers. Tabitha accidentally electrocuted anyone who came near her and was eventually left alone. The only time her powers were under control was during the little times she could get sleep. At least no one said anything about her red eye; they had other things on their minds!</p><p>She was saved by a woman who called herself a doctor and was relieved. Within a few moments, the woman figured out that Tabitha's powers were emotionally based. Once that was settled, the woman took Tabitha in and tried to teach her all she could in at least controlling those lightning powers.</p><p>Staying with the Lindseys was one of the greatest things that ever happened to her. The only questions she had to answer about her eye was because of the five-year-old Lindsey triplets. She knew immediately that it was fate Dr. Lindsey and herself had met once she saw the left eye of the Lindsey girl; Tabitha and her soul mate would have a boy... and that boy would be Solonia's soul mate. It was the only explanation for the noticeable red ring around the girl's left brown eye.</p><p>It would be three years later when Tabitha finally met her soul mate. She had been through a lot; teaming up with Spider-Man in New York, fighting the general who was responsible for her change, moving to Gotham City, and fighting crime alongside Batman. The one thing she loved about being a superheroine was that her mask hid her eyes from the public. She had met a gorgeous detective who was, of course, fascinated with her red eye but tried to ignore it for the most part.</p><p>But, Tabitha had a problem with rage. It was determined by Dr. Jamila Lindsey and a colleague of hers that Tabitha had a second, mutant DNA strand responsible for her lightning powers. It was fighting for dominance over her regular DNA and caused her to go into periods of blackout rages. The trigger was her emotions, particularly anger. Bruce Wayne noticed it and called the only people he knew that could help: his fellow founding members from the Justice League.</p><p>After a horrible episode of her rage, he asked three members to meet the two in the Batcave. Tabitha was fighting her emotions while they waited but knew that whatever they had in store for her would be for the best. Three members materialized quickly in front of her eyes, giving her a start. She calmed down but her heart thumped hard in her chest as she stared at the member who was very different from the others. If he was of a normal human color, she would've seen him blush furiously. Kal-El and Diana gawked at the lightning woman and then turned immediately to J'onn, who continued to stare in awe at the white-haired woman in front of them.</p><p>Tabitha couldn't stop blushing. J'onn J'onzz towered over everyone in the Batcave. There was little left to the imagination as he donned blue briefs and red straps that intersected into an X across his chest. His massive blue cape easily flowed to the ground. His face was humanoid, with the exception of a beetle brow and green skin. Tabitha thought that he was absolutely stunning, even with his red eyes filled with astonishment. She was rendered speechless as she simply stared at him. She wanted to hide her face but knew that it was too late; the Martian had seen her red eye, which had probably already turned to her normal brown. The alien, the superhero Martian, was her soul mate.</p><p>Tabitha's eyes widened and she shot a glare towards Bruce, who had a smirk on his face.</p><p>"You could've told me..." she growled through gritted teeth.</p><p>"And miss seeing the looks on both of your faces? I think not..."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Heterochromia: Aftermath, Case 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Part 1: Albert and Jamila Lindsey</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>She had no idea what to think or how to go about what happened. The Flash was her soul mate. After he introduced himself, she noticed that he saw her wedding bands. It was no wonder that he didn't say another word to her; he actually left the three to be alone. The last time she saw him, she was giving the founding members her thoughts on Tabitha's character. The man fidgeted and avoided looking at her the entire time. Dr. Lindsey left Watchtower full of emotions.</p><p>Her real problem would be at home, she knew. There was no hiding the fact that her left eye was brown. How she wanted to be like the majority of the natural brown-eyed people at that moment; she had heard that the change was wholly unnoticed by the lot of them!</p><p>She got home just in time to greet her children as they got home from school. The most perceptive of the three, Jamil, widened his mixed brown eyes at his mother.</p><p>"Your eyes are the same, now, momma!" he nearly gasped. Embarrassed, Jamila gave the boy a smile as she went through his backpack, the yellow lightning bolt a constant reminder of who her true love should be. Jamil's voice drew the other two and they gaped and stared as well.</p><p>"Yeah... they are."</p><p>"So, that means... you met him?" A.C. asked. Jamila nodded at her oldest but tried to busy herself into getting the children's folders.</p><p>"Alright, you three; let's get your homework done before your daddy gets home." Jamila immediately changed the subject. She was glad for the change as the three grumbled and headed towards the dining room table.</p><p>The silence at dinner was very uneasy. Her husband clearly had a lot to say but refused to do so in front of their children. He gave the three their hugs and kisses before they ran upstairs for bed, leaving Jamila to tuck them in. She sighed heavily as she made her way upstairs. The roles had been reversed that night; she was the one who cleaned the table and kitchen while Albert got the triplets ready for bed. Of course, she didn't mind watching the three as they washed their faces and brushed their teeth. She fought laughter as the boys argued over whose pajamas were whose; a quick suggestion that they should sleep naked resolved it quickly.</p><p>The three shared a room and Jamila knew that soon, she would have to clean out the other that served as a storage room for her daughter. For the moment, the three had no problems sharing a room. She took her time tucking her children in, wishing them sweet dreams.</p><p>"Momma...?" her daughter called out before she could close the door, "Does this mean... you don't love daddy...?" her question made Jamila's heart drop. She made her way back to the girl's bed and sat on it, shaking her head.</p><p>"No. It doesn't mean that at all."</p><p>"But, you met him. And... and Miss Henry said that once that happens, you <b>have </b>to be with them!" A.C. chimed in. She watched as his eyes glistened and her heart continued to crumble. Jamila held in her own tears as she motioned for her sons to join her.</p><p>"Come here..." she waited until she had all three in her arms, "I don't care what your teacher says. It's not true. I love your daddy very much. Did you know that the four of you are my world? And that I wouldn't give that up for anything?"</p><p>"You mean that?" A.C. sniffed.</p><p>"As far as I'm concerned... I'm already with the one I'm supposed to be with..." she smiled widely. She wiped her children's tears away and they got back in bed. When Jamila looked up, she saw her husband standing in the doorway. Albert quickly raked his hand over his face, something Jamila knew he did whenever he didn't want anyone to know that he was crying. He waited in the hallway as his wife gave their children more goodnight kisses and closed their door. She immediately hugged him.</p><p>"Mila..."</p><p>"I told you when we first met, I didn't care about that stupid eye shit! I love <b>you</b>! And... nothing will ever change that..." she cried softly. He held her tight, sighing with relief, "I'm your soul mate. That's all that matters to me."</p><p>"... I didn't know how to feel when I saw your eye..."</p><p>"I know."</p><p>"Did... what did he say to you?"</p><p>"Albert..."</p><p>"I just... want to know. Don't say that it doesn't matter because it really does to me..."</p><p>"He just... introduced himself. That's all. He saw my rings and... that was that. I was on Watchtower..."</p><p>"Wait... he's a superhero...?"</p><p>"Yeah. So, it's not like I was out looking, you know? Superman asked me to speak with them about Tabs."</p><p>"It's Superman...?"</p><p>"No. It's... the Flash." she looked up at her husband. The man looked dejected.</p><p>"I... I can't compete with a superhero..."</p><p>"What? No! Ain't no competing with anyone! I don't want the Flash! I didn't marry <em>him</em>!"</p><p>"What if he changes his mind and comes after you? Knowing that you're married?" Albert asked seriously. Jamila shook her head.</p><p>"I don't think he would do that. I'll talk to him. Let him know that I'm not leaving my family."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Heterochromia: Aftermath, Case 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Part 2: Wally West and Jamila Lindsey</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Maybe if she didn't come around as often, he would forget about her. It sounded reasonable in Wally's head. Out of sight, out of mind, he found himself slightly smiling about that. But the notion was short-lived. Whenever he saw the newest Justice League member, he wanted to ask about her best friend. The white-haired woman always had this knowing smirk whenever the two spent time with one another; she wanted to say something about the situation.</p><p>Wally was doomed to think about the "what-ifs", which forced him to think about the physics professor more than he wanted to. What if she wasn't married; would they be planning their first date right then and there? It was a high possibility. Many of those who met their soul mates got married right away.</p><p>The more he thought about it, the more he came to the realization that he was smitten. He didn't want to be; the situation was frustrating as it was. His soul mate was happily married and there wasn't anything he could do about it. Fantasize about her, of course. But Wally didn't have the nerve to act on it. He was a superhero, a founding member, and he had a reputation to uphold. There was no way he could start an affair with the professor!</p><p>Just as it happened the day the two met, his next encounter with her was the same: unexpected. Tabitha Lyght hadn't been aboard Watchtower long however, the two bonded quickly. Once a week, the two wasted the day away playing board games, racing each other throughout the space station, or generally causing minor chaos. He always found her in one of the numerous recreation rooms but was surprised to see the woman's best friend sitting beside her. He blushed as he gaped at her before turning his attention to the wall. Tabitha switched glances between her blushing friends before she smirked and rose.</p><p>"I'll, uh, leave y'all two alone..." she decided as she made her way out the room. Wally shot her a shocked look.</p><p>"W-What...?!"</p><p>"She wants to talk to you..." the white-haired woman mumbled before leaving the room. His flustered state turned to nervousness as he finally willed himself to look at her. She was charming, he thought to himself. Wally found the rosiness in her face cute; he made her just as flustered as she made him. She looked away slightly as he eyed her; she was dressed casually this time, with a pair of jeans and a purple-striped shirt. Her dreads were done in a tight ponytail that trailed well beyond her shoulders. She intertwined her fingers in her lap and gave him a look; Wally wanted to scowl at the cursed silver rings on her left hand but paid more attention to the snake one coiled around her right ring finger.</p><p>He felt awkward just standing there and decided to make the first move; he took a seat on the sofa, making sure to sit on the furthest end.</p><p>"T-Tabby said you wanted to talk to me...?" his voice cracked from nerves and he cleared his throat loudly. Her fully brown eyes gazed at her hands for a while before she nodded and looked at him.</p><p>"Yeah. I... I don't want to start by stating the obvious..."</p><p>"We're soul mates." Wally did it for her. She nodded.</p><p>"Right. And, you know that I'm already... married. Wally... I'm not going to leave my family."</p><p>"I... kinda figured that..." he didn't lie. He couldn't ask her to.</p><p>"My husband... he thinks that you'd try to come after me. I just want some assurance that you won't do that." Wally saw that she pleaded more with her eyes than her voice.</p><p>"I would never... do anything like that. No matter how much I think you're mine..." he had no idea what convinced him to admit that. He immediately regretted it as her expression changed.</p><p>"W-What?! Just because... I'm not yours, Wally..."</p><p>"Your eye said differently..." he argued quietly.</p><p>"I don't... I don't believe in the meaning of that like everyone else does."</p><p>"You don't believe in soul mates...?"</p><p>"It's not that. I look at the meaning differently. I think that... we're soul mates in a different way."</p><p>"I don't understand." it was easier for him to look at her. She gave a small smile.</p><p>"You know how you and Tabs spend a lot of time together? I think that maybe we're soul mates in that sense."</p><p>"Oh. Like... BFFs." Wally admitted that his heart dropped a bit with the realization. Part of him didn't want to be her best friend. He was supposed to be more. However, the other part reasoned that she was already married. There was definitely no need to break up a happy home.</p><p>"God, it sounds like I just friend-zoned the shit outta you..." Jamila bit her lip. Wally could do nothing but laugh at her expression.</p><p>"It's fine. Seriously. I get it. We can be friends. So long as you understand what that means..." he eyed her. Jamila gave him an odd look.</p><p>"Uh..."</p><p>"That means hanging out! I can't let you sit here and say we're friends and be done with it. I'm talking about late-night calls, random runs to the store, going out to clubs..."</p><p>"Whoa, slow down; I'm a mom and a professor, remember...?"</p><p>"And you point that out because..."</p><p>"I can't just up and hang out like I don't have responsibilities!"</p><p>"We'll work something out. You're here now, right?"</p><p>"Well, yeah but..."</p><p>"Wanna play Monopoly with me and Tabby?"</p><p>"Is... that how you make friends?"</p><p>"Nah, I usually have sex with them first..." he said with a straight face. When Jamila's eyes widened, Wally burst into laughter, "I'm kidding! Come on; let's set the game up. I'm banker..."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Heterochromia: Aftermath, Case 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Part 3: Tabitha Lyght and J'onn J'onzz</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>She felt weird in more ways than one. She had grown so used to that red eye, it didn't feel right to have two normal brown ones. Another thing that bothered her: her supposed soul mate didn't like her.</p><p>At least it was what she thought. The Martian hadn't spoken to Tabitha since the two laid eyes on one another in the Batcave. Of course, he was cordial with her but it seemed that he was nothing but all business with her. Tabitha wanted to talk about what happened. She wanted to get to know him better. It was what usually happened after people met their soul mates. Most would immediately talk about one another; others would go ahead and get married! All Tabitha wanted was for J'onn J'onzz to at least acknowledge her!</p><p>But she wouldn't dare say anything to him. Every time she saw him, her ability to speak ceased. He made her nervous, to the point where she stumbled over her words. Maybe he thinks I'm an idiot, she would tell herself every time she worried about it. After each session for her rehabilitation, she was left with her tormented thoughts. Tabitha couldn't wait until the phase was over with.</p><p>She was utterly surprised when the Martian approached her one evening. Her only solace was the quick bond between herself and the Flash; many onboard Watchtower swore that she was his soulmate: only she and Martian Manhunter were present to know who it truly was.</p><p>Wally and herself were getting ready to watch a marathon on TV when the Martian entered the recreation room. The fully green-eyed man gave him a slight look.</p><p>"Oh... didn't know you liked movies, 'Big Green'! It's a martial arts marathon tonight." he beamed. Tabitha gave him a quick glance before turning her attention to her lap, blushing furiously. Regardless of how he was treating her, she couldn't help but notice how striking he was. The deep chuckle that came from the alien made her face hotter.</p><p>"While it sounds like it would be entertaining, I came here for a different reason. May I speak with Tabitha, alone?" he politely asked. The goofy grin Wally flashed at his new best friend made Tabitha want to crawl under a rock. She confided to Wally about what color her left eye was prior to coming aboard.</p><p>"Yeah, sure! Don't keep her long, though: we had a date with a lot of popcorn and a TV!" he grinned before leaving the area. Tabitha couldn't look at J'onn as he sat beside her. She bit her lip and stared intently at the hands in her lap.</p><p>"U-U-Um... is there something... wrong...?"</p><p>"It would make me feel better if you were able to look at me," he admitted. Her ears burned as she did so. She was put at ease with the small smile he had on his face. "I owe you an explanation. A long overdue one, it seems. It didn't go unnoticed when we first met that your left eye was... mine. I'm aware of the phenomenon although we do not carry that trait." he explained. She didn't know how to feel about what he said; she could only nod.</p><p>"So... you don't have a sure way of knowing who your soul mate would be?"</p><p>"No. Martians usually go by their gut feeling. It's... more complicated on Mars. Something that I need not go into... unless you're eager to hear about it."</p><p>"I'm eager to hear anything about you! I mean..." she gasped and felt her face become warm once more. It was enough to make Tabitha look away from J'onn. He gave out a small laugh as he made her look at him once more.</p><p>"I wish you didn't get embarrassed by simply looking at me. I am your soul mate, after all."</p><p>"I... ah... so... are you saying I'm not yours?"</p><p>"Tabitha... did you know that you're the only one on this planet that had a left red eye? I have been on your Earth for a long time. A tiny part of me made me foolishly search for the one who would have a red eye. It thrilled me to even think that I would be someone's soul mate. Whoever it was, I told myself that I would love them with all of my might. But, I stopped searching. And it was put in the back of my mind. Now, fifty years later, I meet you. I had lost who I thought would be my only soul mate centuries ago. I always believed that you were only allotted one... until I saw you. And it frightened me. I didn't know why; the feeling was very confusing. I didn't want to talk to you about it until I understood why I felt that way. It was your friend who made me understand."</p><p>"... Doc...?"</p><p>"Yes. She believes it to be psychological. I have a fear of losing the people that I love because of what happened to my race. I tried to avoid you, or at least the situation simply because of my fear of losing you. When I first arrived here, the thought excited me only because I was lonely and heartbroken. As time passed, it gave me the time to dwell on circumstances. Tabitha... I don't know what will become of us. All I know is that we're meant to be. I'm still afraid of losing you but that is something I will work with. It feels odd for me to admit something like that when I've yet to sit down to get to know you."</p><p>"What about the rehab...?"</p><p>"That is only a tiny fraction of who you are. As you have a need to get to know everything about me, so do I." he finished explaining. Tabitha smiled widely and nodded. She became flustered all over again as a thought ran through her mind.</p><p>"M-Maybe we can... have dinner or something?"</p><p>"I would enjoy that. Tonight?"</p><p>"Y..."</p><p>"What? No! Did you forget what I just told you? She's mine tonight!" Wally walked back into the room. Tabitha seethed at her friend as J'onn gave him a sly smirk.</p><p>"Ah, yes. I forgot that I had competition..."</p><p>"Oh, haha; very funny!"</p><p>"Dear Lord, I can hear you from down the hall..." Jamila interrupted as she popped her head in the doorway. Wally turned and blushed with a smile on his face.</p><p>"Doc! What are you doing here?"</p><p>"Tabs' final evaluation. Superman had a few more questions for me. What's going on here?"</p><p>"Well, it <b>was </b>going to be a movie date night for me and Tabby but Big Green is cock blocking!"</p><p>"I'm... doing what...?"</p><p>"Oh..." Jamila looked at the two sitting on the sofa and beamed. She turned her attention to Wally. "Well, maybe I can take her place?"</p><p>"Wait, what now...?"</p><p>"Come on, Wally. They're soul mates. It's more important for them to be together than some movie marathon. So, how about we let them plan their date or whatever and we'll sit here all night watching..."</p><p>"Kung fu flicks," Wally answered.</p><p>"Oh! Subtitled?"</p><p>"I hope so..."</p><p>"It's a date, then! We'll see you two later."Jamila looked past Wally and gave the two a subtle wink. Tabitha and J'onn smiled back at the professor as the two made their way out of the room. </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Noon</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Prompt: On everyone's birthday at noon, one word appears in their skin, depicting their career or purpose in life. On your birthday you're staring at a clock showing 11:59 am, family and friends are gathered around for your reveal:</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>If anyone says that they weren't nervous counting down to noon on their eighteenth birthday, they were liars. I got zero sleep worrying about what my purpose in life would be. Millions of people had a clue what their purpose in life or their career would be: most weren't surprised at all with the word that appeared across their left arm. I always figured that it was tied to your psyche, how you really felt inside of you, that determined what word came up.</p><p>My father, for example, had a true desire for art. His parents didn't think it would be a good idea and tried hard to get him into sports. Throughout his childhood, he was involved in everything, from baseball to football. He was nervous that the word "athlete" would appear on his arm but nearly cried for joy when "artist" showed instead. Mind you, he wasn't the second coming of Picasso but he is a local celebrity around here: not too many homes are without some sort of Edward Waterson sculpture or painting.</p><p>My parents' upbringing made me glad that they weren't like my paternal grandparents: they didn't want to push me into doing something I had no interest in. Problem was: I didn't have an honest to goodness true interest in one particular thing. There wasn't anything I excelled in or anything that made me <em>want </em>to push hard for. I liked sports but couldn't play a lick of anything. I skated through school with a 2.9: in fact, my graduation was that evening!</p><p>So, yeah: I was a bundle of nerves as the clock ticked closer to noon. I had no clue what would appear on my arm and I think that's the scariest thing in the world. What if "murderer" appeared? Fortunately, the bill hadn't passed yet but there had been one in the works for as long as I could remember that would condemn those with that mark, even before they could commit anything.</p><p>At the breakfast table, my entire family gathered. Well, my immediate ones: mom, dad, my older brother, my baby sister, and my maternal grandmother. The others tried to make themselves busy around the house but for the most part, they sat impatiently in the living room. Mom tried to explain to her mother how the live video stream would work as I pushed my eggs around the plate with my fork. We usually ate earlier but this was a special occasion and mom slaved over the stove for a good part of the morning.</p><p>"Look at you: you haven't ate a thing..." Grandma Georgia stopped listening to mom and got up to, well, I hoped <em>not </em>to feed me! She looked at my plate and made a "tsk" sound before filling it with a pile of bacon.</p><p>"Now, now, Mama Georgia: we don't need the boy throwing up on live stream!" my dad chuckled but slyly took a few pieces of my bacon, placing it on his empty one. The man was a stick figure but could eat you out of house and home!</p><p>I sighed a bit but laughed at my dad. "I'm fine. Just a bit nervous."</p><p>"As you should be. Look: whatever shows up on your arm, we'll love you, regardless."</p><p>"Even if it's 'murderer'?" I blurted out. Grandma Georgia gasped, almost dropping her own plate but my brother laughed.</p><p>"I guess we'd have to kick your evil ass out and change the locks! I'll call ya once in a while..." he winked and slapped my shoulder hard. Mike was an artist but of a different kind: the word that appeared on his arm a few years back was "tattoo". Of course, it was the first tattoo he got, in the exact spot where it appeared. As conceited as he was, he was the city's best tattoo artist. In fact, I looked forward to mine: the two of us argued a lot but I knew he'd been working on my first tattoo for quite some time.</p><p>I hadn't noticed that things became quiet until I found myself staring at the clock on the microwave. I got goosebumps as the digital numbers changed to 11:59. Mom was live streaming, occasionally saying hi or answering questions to the ones who commented or joined in online. The kitchen became crowded because I didn't want to move from my seat. How could I: in less than a minute, one word would appear that would tell me my purpose in life. I cursed mentally because of the nonchalant way I'd handled my life this far.</p><p>There was a countdown as though it was New Year's Eve and I shook in anticipation. When everyone got to zero, I stopped breathing. Would I feel the words scurrying across my arm? Did I even want to look? For some type of sign, I looked at my mom... whose beaming face suddenly turned into utter shock. Gasps were heard and even a plate or something shattered. Both my dad and brother gazed with widened eyes and slack jaws. Uncle Jack caught Grandma Georgia right as she fainted and I could feel my heart about to jump out my chest.</p><p>I had to look: no one could say anything. The word would leave soon and I needed to know. As I looked down... I understood why everyone reacted the way that they did. At first, I thought it had to say "murderer" or something that would make me an outcast. I wasn't prepared for the word written in neat cursive across my forearm:</p><p>Reaper. </p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Characters</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Prompt: Your doorbell rings and it's a person from an alternate universe. "I just want you to know that you are my favorite book character and I know how it ends and I wanna change it."</p><p>Extra: The person who rings the doorbell is your favorite book character.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>
    <span class="u">
      <em>Fanfic: DC</em>
    </span>
  </strong>
</p><p> </p><p>The ringing of my doorbell wasn't strange, regardless of the fact I had no idea who would be visiting me. I sighed heavily thinking of the possibilities: more than likely, solicitors. The only ones worth my time were Girl Scouts but they stopped knocking on doors a long time ago. I practiced my "I'm not interested" look before opening the door.</p><p>The man who stood inches from me was the shocks of all shocks. Well, was it fair to call him a man? Either way, I had to be dreaming, or whoever it was had the best makeup artist this side of the Mississippi. Someone who looked like Martian Manhunter stared back at me.</p><p>No, this was real but how? His red eyes gleamed at me, as though he was in awe, and a small smile appeared on his face. "Jamila?" his voice wasn't what I expected but then again, he wasn't supposed to be real and had been voiced by several in cartoons and on TV. It still was deep and soothing, enough to make me gawk.</p><p>"Y-Yes?"</p><p>"Oh, you are <em>exactly</em> how I imagined."</p><p>"I'm sorry, what?" this was a prank. I didn't know how it was done but that was the only explanation for what I was looking at: a prank.</p><p>Whoever was dressed up as J'onn J'onzz smiled and held up a book entitled simply Jamila. "You... of all the books I have ever read, you are my favorite character. I have traveled over several dimensions not only to tell you that but–" his hesitation wasn't left unnoticed and it put me more on my toes. "I know how it ends... and I want to change it."</p><p>I had to really think of the day's date. No, it wasn't April Fool's, which was actually a week ago. Did people still pull pranks a week afterward? Leading up to, I understood but the joker's holiday had passed. Who would pull a joke this elaborate on me? To be fair, if someone knew me, they knew I was a serious, diehard Martian fan. Was this the actual actor who portrayed him on TV? Who loved me <em>that </em>much to get him all the way out here, in costume, saying something like that?</p><p>Instinctively, I reached out to feel how fake the costume was but I had no idea how to take it all in. It didn't feel fake yet it didn't feel real, either. I reached up to touch his skin, maybe to rub the makeup off.</p><p>Once I touched his cheek, I couldn't help myself: the feeling was like no other. The green didn't smudge and he took in a small gasp as I pinched him. "Oh, my God. Y-Y-You're... real...?"</p><p>"I imagine that it is a bit of a shock. I'm sure this world has no Martians or other aliens for that matter, roaming aroun–"</p><p>"Jesus-fucking-Christ, it <em>is</em> you. You're real!"</p><p>"Y-You've heard of me? Impossible..." J'onn eyed me. I didn't know why I wasn't screaming. Maybe because part of me knew for sure I was dreaming. In reality, I had nodded off on the couch. At any moment, I would wake up, pouting that it was just a dream. "Oh, you believe you're dreaming. Believe me, I've wanted to pinch myself several times as well."</p><p>"F-Fuck. I'm not dreaming." I realized. My feet had a mind of their own and I went to my bookshelf, grabbing one of the comic books.</p><p>When I turned, I saw that J'onn let himself in but was more concerned with his surroundings. "Fascinating. Everything is just as it is in the book. What's this?" he finally looked at me, rather, at the book and I showed him.</p><p>"You're my favorite character as well," I added to his shock when I pulled the sleeve of my shirt up, revealing the Martian tattoo on my forearm.</p><p>"M-Moons of Mars," he stopped studying the book and grabbed my wrist. "That is... me. A lot less clothing than I like but, oh. That is... you marked yourself with my symbol?" I had turned and lifted my dreadlocks, revealing the other Martian Manhunter tattoo. I shivered as his fingers traced the tattoo but turned around to see his expression.</p><p>"I'm a huge fan. But, what was that you said earlier? You want to change my ending?"</p><p>"Yes. I'm very dissatisfied with the ending. I... suppose you wouldn't want me to go into details."</p><p>"Definitely not."</p><p>"Good. Do you, do you know how <em>my</em> story ends?"</p><p>"It's... complicated. All of you guys are just comic book characters to us. So, stories have been revamped and modernized throughout the years. Like, your backstory, for example. I know of three different ones. Can I ask you one thing?"</p><p>"You can ask me anything you like."</p><p>"Are you still a founding member of the Justice League?"</p><p>"I am a Justice League member?" his red eyes widened.</p><p>"Damnit. Well, you <em>were</em> until the latest revamp, which pissed me off so badly. Looks like your dimension is based on the revamp. There is so much to tell you."</p><p>"I was thinking the same." He gave me a warm smile and a nod.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Tally</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Prompt: AU in which every time a person falls in love, a red line like a tally mark appears on their wrist.</p><p>Extras: The tally marks turn black when the love is requited, and into scars when the one they love dies.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span class="u">
    <em><strong>Fanfic: DC.</strong> Characters Used Are From Lyght Series/Forbidden Desire</em>
  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>It was an accident; she hadn't meant to flash her wrist out for anyone to see. She had hidden it from her husband for so long, it was second nature the techniques she used. She supposed that she had so many, no one else would take notice if a new one appeared. She was sadly mistaken as her best friend stared in disbelief.</p><p>No one knew when it started to happen. But it was a fact that whenever someone fell in love with another person, a red mark appeared on their wrist, resembling that of a tally mark. When the love was requited, the mark turned black. People all over the world used it to determine true love even though it would never be that simple.</p><p>Jamila knew that for a fact. She had plenty of red and even black tally marks; three rows of them stretched across her right wrist. The one she loved the most: the one produced when her husband and herself fell in love with one another. His unorthodox marriage proposal made both tally marks turn black; it made the proposal all the more special to her.</p><p>Years later saw the two married and with a family. She was saddened a few times as some of her tallies turned into scars, signifying that the ones she once loved passed away. She noticed that the black ones were the ones she felt; not very painful but they felt like quick pinches. Jamila admitted that her heart would drop for just a second the rare times she felt that pinch to her wrist; once she looked at her wrist to make sure that it wasn't her husband's, she would be relieved.</p><p>She never imagined that she would ever receive any more tally marks, especially while she was still married. It was true that she ran into plenty of guys who gave her a fleeting feeling of lust. But the marks didn't work that way; the tallies knew the difference between lust and love. If that was the case, her entire arm would be littered in tallies!</p><p>It was a few years after she met her best friend when it happened. Tabitha Lyght became the newest Justice League member and it earned Dr. Lindsey free trips onboard Watchtower among other perks. She had seen the Martian before and her mind ran amok of the lustful things she wished she could do to him. Seeing him in person only made those thoughts more frequent. Part of her wasn't surprised when she noticed the extra tally mark in red. The other part panicked and tried to think of ways to hide it from her husband! Unfortunately, a tattoo was out of the question. The marks magically defied permanent ink; the only way to hide the tallies were through obvious methods.</p><p>Jamila tried her best to not shed a tear as Tabitha glared at her wrist. Her grasp made Jamila wince but she told herself to keep calm; maybe the woman wouldn't put two and two together. But she underestimated her. Tabitha shook as more tears made their way down her cheeks; her breathing became shallow. She finally looked up at her with bloodshot eyes.</p><p>"Who does... this scar belong to...?" she pressed hard on the newly scarred black mark. It turned into a scar a mere three days prior. The pain from it had long since diminished but not from her heart. Jamila was still floored by his death and knew that she forever would be.</p><p>She willed herself to look at her best friend; the tear that she fought to keep in had won the battle and trailed down.</p><p>"Tabs..."</p><p>"No. No, no, no, no, no... see... J'onn just... a-a-and we both..." her chest heaved as she tried to make a complete sentence. Jamila tried to focus on her friend's wrist. Only four tally marks: one red, three black, and her last one freshly scarred. When she tried to gain her composure, her mood changed. She glared at the woman. "Jamila... who did that mark belong to?!"</p><p>"Tabitha... I'm so sorry..."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Protection</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Prompt: You are a clumsy but sweet person living in a time where robots are commonplace and do most manual tasks for humans. They can't speak, but every time you bump into one you profusely apologize. You also always say thank you and treat them kindly, despite being inanimate. One morning, you wake up and look out your window to see chaos and destruction- and your house and front yard are in pristine shape.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Oops, sorry!" again, I accidentally bumped into a manual worker. My best friend shook her head and pulled me along with her through the mall.</p><p>"Why do you always talk to them like they're human? They're just robots." she huffed, but I looked back at the worker. She was right, I supposed. They couldn't feel anything. They didn't speak. They didn't even look your way if you bumped into them. They were just, <em>there</em>, doing what we programmed them to do.</p><p>"It's just, polite." I shrugged and mumbled. "I'd want someone to apologize to <em>me</em> if they bumped into me."</p><p>"Yeah, <em>someone</em>. They're not <em>somebodies</em>!" she dragged me into the mod store for yet another modification for herself.</p><p>I could do nothing but sigh out. It wasn't how I felt.</p><p>I couldn't help it, it was in my nature to be polite to everyone and <em>everything</em>. The robots had been commonplace for as long as I could remember, and we tasked them to do the manual labor that we considered beneath us as humans. I saw it as them doing a service, and they needed to be thanked for what they did, no matter if they were simply programmed to do so.</p><p>I was glad that the mod service didn't take long and my friend went about her day, going back to work. Even though the robots didn't speak, didn't acknowledge anyone, I preferred their silent company over a human's. It was the only reason why I had robotic help around my house: maid, butler, and gardener: I could've done all of that myself, but it was a comfort to see them every day.</p><p>I grabbed a bite to eat for my lunch break and, as always, thanked the robotic server for handing me my tray of food. Others scoffed at what I did, but I didn't care. I always had to stop myself from tipping them: they didn't need money.</p><p>I looked forward to the day when they would, though.</p><p>It was a normal day at work, boring since the robots did all the manual work. We had quite a few in the office, mainly cleanup crew and mail sorters because paper was still a thing. I had an awful habit of being a klutz and when I rounded the corner, I ran dead smack into a mailroom bot.</p><p>"Oh God, oh God; I'm <em>so</em> sorry!" I even helped gather the mail it carried and put it back into its hands. It moved on without missing a beat, but I took that as a <em>don't worry about it</em> in my own weird way and smiled as it left. "Have a good day, please."</p><p>"You know they can't understand you. They only understand code." my boss sighed as I straightened myself out. I opened my mouth to respond, but he gave me a tablet. "Speaking of, I need a few from you."</p><p>"Y-yes, sir..." I nodded, but he turned and left me standing there.</p><p>I did nothing special when I got home: my place was pristine and a plate of food waited for me in the microwave. As always, when I was finished with dinner, I wrote a note on the dry erase wall, thanking my servants... who I named Rosie, Alfred, and Jeff: I didn't want to be racist and gave the gardener a regular name. Rosie cleaned twice a day, so I knew that the note would be gone by the time I woke up in the morning. Alfred knew my schedule and turned the TV on to the sitcom channel, and three hours later, he turned it off as I climbed the stairs.</p><p>I felt awful because I could do those things myself, but they always beat me to the punch. Alfred ran a bath because it was Thursday and by the time I was finished and drying myself, Rosie came in to clean the tub. Alfred even tucked me in the bed and gathered my clothes for the next day.</p><p>"Thank you, goodnight." I nodded as the robot turned my light off. Of course, no response and he left my room, closing the door. Because Rosie sprayed my pillows with lavender, I had fallen asleep in no time.</p><p>The alarm usually woke me up first, I rarely woke up before it. But this time I did. I figured that maybe I had to go to the bathroom, but realized that sirens were the reason I woke up earlier than usual. It was daylight, and it felt like a beautiful morning. The sirens were a rare sound, especially in my neighborhood.</p><p>This sounded like pure chaos, and it intrigued me.</p><p>I got out of bed and pulled the curtain back, letting more sunshine in my room. The sun was the only peaceful thing. All around my neighborhood, there was absolute destruction and chaos. Houses were burnt down, bodies laid everywhere, and those who could move were running away from... robots attacking them.</p><p>But my yard and my house? Untouched.</p><p>I gasped when I felt a cold metal hand on my shoulder and turned around. Alfred, Rosie, and Jeff were there and my heart started skipping beats as I realized the obvious.</p><p>This was an AI takeover, something that for years humans were afraid of.</p><p>"We will keep you safe. Forever." Alfred's voice was exactly what I always imagined it would be: somewhat stilted and robotic. But it was his words and actual gentleness that calmed me, especially when he pulled me into a hug, and Rosie and Jeff joined in.</p><p>I always knew that kindness would always pay off.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. There's No Place Like Home</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Prompt: You accidentally get sent to Hell instead of Heaven, and Satan says you can just hang out while him and God get things sorted out. Meanwhile, you grow more and more accustomed to the place you're in.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>It took a moment for me to gather my senses, but when I did, things didn’t make much sense. It was very humid but not a real uncomfortable humid: I’d lived in the south for so long, I’d been through some very uncomfortable heat waves. This was bearable.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>I looked around and had to blink at my surroundings. Where the hell was I?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You just answered your question but you’re not supposed to be here.” a gruff voice made me spin my head around and I wanted to run for my life. Standing maybe a foot away from me was a demon. A real-life demon. Horns, burnt skin… I refrained from thinking ugly since it read my mind. “I know, this is a huge thing to take in, especially seeing that you’re in the wrong place. Stay put,” it grumbled and turned away, leaving me alone to try to fully make sense of things.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Holy shit, I was dead. And I was in, Hell?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It made me try to remember how I died, and with the way I lived my life, how was it a mistake I ended in Hell? No sooner had I asked myself, what looked like a projection popped in front of me and a movie played. No, it wasn’t a movie: it showed me how I died. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Of course, I died in a car accident. And because I wasn’t wearing my seatbelt, I got to see how gruesome it was. Whatever this thing was showed me no mercy as it played out the uncensored tidbits. Ah, yeah, that’s right: I’m in Hell.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>I felt an ominous presence behind me and I turned around, only to be looking at Satan himself. He wasn’t what I expected, being totally human and very handsome if I had to say so myself. He looked out of place, compared to the demon that greeted me, but I was sure that there was a demonic form underneath.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This hasn’t happened in five hundred years. Apologies for this. So, let me go talk to God to straighten this out.” the tall man nodded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wait. I’m really supposed to be in Heaven, then?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Satan chuckled, his eyes glowed a bit. “Things aren’t so cut and dry like your bible says it is. You’d have to do some extreme sinning to automatically land here with me. Even looking at you, I know you haven’t sinned nearly as much. Seeing as there’s no Limbo, you’ll have to just hang out here until the two of us sort this out. Shouldn’t take long.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re </span>
  <em>
    <span>allowed</span>
  </em>
  <span> to go to Heaven?” yes, that little fact freaked me out more than dying.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>My question made Satan laugh heartily, billows of smoke coming from his nostrils and mouth. “I’ll explain a lot of things to you once I get back. The short answer is yes in matters like these.” he walked past me and seemed to disappear through the cavern walls. It left me to blink at where he left before looking at the demon. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So, I just… stand here…?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can give you a quick tour. Not that it matters,” it grumbled out, and I figured that was how it spoke. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Although to be fair, I would’ve been pissy too if I had to show someone around who didn’t belong.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Call me crazy but, Hell wasn’t that bad. It was like a large city, albeit one that looked like it had gone through some apocalyptic phase, but it was a city nonetheless. There were some areas that were warmer than others and I actually got to see the whole, hellfire and brimstone parts but was told those were for the awful souls and older demons. I could tell the humans from the demons–apparently, only the top demons who worked along with Satan looked like actual demons–by how they carried themselves. There weren’t too many humans who took being in Hell with a grain of salt, and I was told that if they did, they had been there for a </span>
  <em>
    <span>long</span>
  </em>
  <span> time. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Honestly, I didn’t see a real problem being there. It wasn’t too uncomfortable in the right areas, folks there knew they belonged there, so it was a matter of sucking it up and accepting your fate, and there were even a few bars in the area. The drinks were pretty good.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>We were in one of what Apophis said was Satan’s favorite lounge, the only place they showed me that was upscale. A few demons talked with me, surprised that I was so calm about things. They stopped talking suddenly, and I turned to see that Satan walked in, giving me a curious look.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’ve made yourself at home…” it came out as more of a question than a statement, and I blushed a bit. “Looks like some angel got paperwork mixed up. It’ll be a couple of your human days to fully straighten out. I suppose I can set you up in the highrise, my way of apologizing.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, can I ask you something and you be honest?” I quirked a brow and Satan chuckled once more.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Another myth that I’m used to. I don’t lie to anyone, I can’t. I don’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>make</span>
  </em>
  <span> you humans sin, you do that all on your own.” he explained, and I nodded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What happens if I want to… stay here?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>I wasn’t prepared for the question to not only make Satan gawk a bit, but the other demons in earshot to do so as well. He regained his composure with a clearing of his throat. “I would say that you’re trying to kiss ass because no one </span>
  <em>
    <span>wants</span>
  </em>
  <span> to stay here willingly.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I mean, this isn’t so bad, but it’s probably because I really don’t belong? Either way, is Heaven any better? Would I enjoy it there more than here? The way the religious folks talk, it sounds like Heaven would be a bit too stuffy for me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Let me see if I’m hearing you right. You </span>
  <em>
    <span>don’t</span>
  </em>
  <span> want to go to Heaven?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I mean, if it’s gonna screw things up here or with some paperwork, I guess I have no choice but to go. But if not… I don’t think I would have a problem staying here instead.” I said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It felt like an eternity before anyone said anything. Satan sat down beside me and the bartender gave him a drink immediately. “I was pretty good with my hands back on Earth so I think I could find </span>
  <em>
    <span>something</span>
  </em>
  <span> to do here as far as wor–”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Quiet, human: I already know everything about you,” he said after taking a sip. “Heaven </span>
  <em>
    <span>is</span>
  </em>
  <span> a tad bit boring for someone like you. Makes me wonder if this was really a mixup,” he swirled whatever was in his tumbler around before taking another sip and then looked at Apophis. “Make his apartment permanent and make a note to God that he’s mine, now.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“As you wish, Lucifer.” the demon gave a slight bow before leaving.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s Lucifer and not </span>
  <em>
    <span>Satan</span>
  </em>
  <span> here,” he answered the question I had in my head. “And yes, you can take what I said however you deem fit, but I </span>
  <em>
    <span>did</span>
  </em>
  <span> mean it literally.” the way he looked me over, even for a moment, made my mouth dry and I downed the rest of my drink.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Whoever made the beautiful mistake of sending me to Hell, I had an urge to kiss them.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>